Believe me or not, all the same I tell you the truth when I say that there was not one thing in the room but a covered jar, that stood in the middle of the floor. Of course the princess must have just one peep into the jar, for as she had gone as far as she had, there could be no more harm in this than in the other. So she went to the jar and took off the lid and peeped into it. And what do you think was in it? Nothing but water! But as the princess looked into the water she saw Mother Hildegarde as though she were a great way off, and the Mother Hildegarde whom she saw in the water was looking at nobody in all of the world but her. As soon as the princess saw what she saw, she clapped down the lid of the jar again; but she clapped it down just a moment too late, for a lock of hair fell down over her face, and one single hair touched the water in the jar. [Illustration: The Princess looks into that which she should not have done.] Yes; only one single hair. But when the princess looked she saw that every lock upon her head was turned to pure gold. Then if anybody in all of the world was frightened it was the poor princess. She twisted up the hair upon the top of her head and bound her kerchief about it so that it was all hidden; but all the same the hair was there, and could never be changed from the gold again. Just then who should come walking into the house but Mother Hildegarde herself. “Have you obeyed all that I have told you?” said she. “Yes,” said the princess, but all the same she was so frightened that her knees knocked together. “Did you go into the little room?” said Mother Hildegarde. “No,” said the princess; but her heart beat so that she could hardly speak. Then Mother Hildegarde snatched the kerchief off of the princess’s head, and her golden hair came tumbling down all about her shoulders, glittering, so that it was the finest sight that you could see between here and Nomansland. “Then how came your hair to be like that?” said Mother Hildegarde. “I do not know,” said the princess; and then she began crying and sobbing as though her heart would break. “See now,” said Mother Hildegarde; “you have served me well for all of the time that you have been with me, therefore I will have pity upon you, only you must tell me the truth. Did you go into the little room while I was away?” But for all that Mother Hildegarde spoke ever so kindly the princess could not bring herself to speak the truth. “No,” said she. “Then how came your hair to be like that?” said Mother Hildegarde. “I do not know,” said the princess. At this Mother Hildegarde frowned till her eyes burned like sparks of fire. She caught the princess by the arm and struck her staff upon the ground, and away they flew through the air till the wind whistled behind them. So by and by they came to a great forest, out of which there was no path to be found either to the east or the west or the north or the south.